Scaplen's Court: Poole Museums Service

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All information is drawn from or provided by the venues themselves and every effort is made to ensure it is correct. Please remember to double check opening hours with the venue concerned before making a special visit.

Scaplen's Court is Poole's most complete mediaeval domestic building and has undergone many changes over the centuries. During the Civil War it was known as the 'George Inn' and was probably occupied by troops, as many initials and dates from that period are scratched on the old stone fireplaces.

The exact date when John Scaplen eventually acquired the property is not known, however the building was used in a marriage settlement for one of his granddaughters in 1784. Over the years Scaplen's Court deteriorated until, in 1928, the Society of Poole Men raised the sum of £430 with the object of purchasing, restoring and developing the building. The property was opened to the public in April 1929.

Today, for most of the year, the building is dedicated to the Museum Education programme, however, every August it is open to the general public, with demonstrations on domestic life through the ages held on certain days throughout the month. Exhibitions and family events are also held here throughout the year.

When the Society of Poole Men purchased Scaplens Court, George Dilliston, a renowned garden architect, was asked to lay out the Tudor Garden adjacent to the building. He planned the hard landscaping that can be seen today, using granite beach cobbles from Spain. After several years of neglect, the garden, with help from local community sponsors and volunteers, was restored to its former glory and opened to the public in July 2001. Staffed by volunteers, the garden is now opened to the public every summer.